I thought I would chronicle my experience with HBC and generally about the building process, for anyone else whom it may benefit. My build is in the Arcadia estate, Officer, VIC.
At the moment we are just about to sign the pre-contract, which locks in structural changes and major upgrades.
My experience of HBC and our rep (Brent) is quite good. They are pleasant and fairly knowledgeably, though as you'd expect with a volume builder, fairly inflexible. But they are willing to check every little question and concern I have, and have made some changes to the house, contract and (rarely) prices.
Major upgrades so far are:
- Widening the garage by 1.44m (maximum allowed by estate in) - and rear roller door
- 2.55m ceilings
- Upgrading to the double vanity
- Luca 2.0 facade, and
- Changing all the windows to awning type (there are no eaves, so sliding windows are a no-go for me).
- Double stacker door to outdoor area
Minor/cosmetic stuff is:
- Overhead cupboards in kitchen
- Pot drawers ILO (in lieu of) cupboards
- 900mm oven, cooktop, rangehood
- 20mm caesarstone benchtop to kitchen
- Vinyl (timber look) in hallway ILO carpet
- Obscured glazing to all bathrooms / toilets
- Double shower heads to ensuite
- Sliding mirror doors in bedrooms
- Cosmetic bulkheads between communal rooms
Estate/Council mandated stuff:
- Continuous hot water only (removed solar system)
- Recycled Water
- Opti-com system (NBN)
- Bushfire protection requirements
I will post at every major event, or to answer questions